Begonia plant named ‘BKPBEELA’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Begonia  plant named ‘BKPBEELA’, characterized by its broadly upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; moderately freely basal branching habit; medium-size leaves; uniform and freely flowering habit; and flowers that are salmon pink in color on both the upper and lower surfaces.

Botanical designation: Begonia hiemalis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BKPBEELA’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Begonia Plant Named ‘BKPBECSA’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/507,634).

Applicant: Annie Cornelia Beekenkamp.

Filed: Concurrently with this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant, botanically known as Begonia hiemalis, commercially referred to as a Elatior Begonia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘BKPBEELA’.

The new Begonia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Amstelveen, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new freely branching and freely flowering Begonia plants with attractive foliage and flower colors.

The new Begonia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in September, 2006 of a proprietary selection of Begonia hiemalis identified as code number 06-289-03, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Begonia hiemalis identified as code number 6500604, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Begonia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Amstelveen, The Netherlands in November, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Begonia plant by tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Amstelveen, The Netherlands since August, 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Begonia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Begonia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘BKPBEELA’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘BKPBEELA’ as a new and distinct Begonia plant:

-   -   1. Broadly upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded         plant habit.     -   2. Moderately freely basal branching habit.     -   3. Medium-size leaves.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Flowers that are salmon pink in color on both the upper and         lower surfaces.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Begonia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Begonia are glabrous whereas         leaves of plants of the female parent selection are slightly         pubescent.     -   2. Plants of the new Begonia and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have yellow-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Begonia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Begonia have darker green-colored leaves         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Begonia have double type flowers whereas         plants of the male parent selection have single type flowers.     -   3. Plants of the new Begonia have larger flowers than plants of         the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of the Begonia ‘BKPBECSA’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/507,633. Plants of the new Begonia and ‘BKPBECSA’ differ primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Begonia flower about five days earlier than         plants of ‘BKPBECSA’.     -   2. Plants of the new Begonia are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘BKPBECSA’.

Plants of the new Begonia can also be compared to plants of the Begonia ‘Peggy’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,676. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, plants of the new Begonia differed from plants of ‘Peggy’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Begonia were not as compact as plants of         ‘Peggy’.     -   2. Plants of the new Begonia were more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Peggy’.     -   3. Plants of the new Begonia and ‘Peggy’ differed in flower         color as plants of ‘Peggy’ had dark pink and light yellow         bi-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Begonia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Begonia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘BKPBEELA’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close up view of the upper and lower surfaces of typical flower buds, flowers and leaves of ‘BKPBEELA’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements were grown in 12-cm containers during the winter in a glass-covered greenhouse in Maasdijk, The Netherlands. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 19° C. to 20° C., night temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 19° C. and light levels averaged 7,000 lux. Plants were eleven weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Begonia hiemalis ‘BKPBEELA’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Begonia             hiemalis identified as code number 06-289-03, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Begonia             hiemalis identified as code number 6500604, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About 20 days at             temperatures of about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About 35 to 36 days at temperatures of about 21° C.             to 23° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; light brown             in color; plants of the new Begonia have not been observed             to form tubers.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Broadly upright, somewhat             outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; plant shape             roughly globular; moderately freely basal branching with             about four basal branches per plant; moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 17.9 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 27.1 cm.         -   Branch description.—Length: About 10.2 cm. Diameter: About             7 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Texture: Moderately             pubescent. Aspect: Upright to about 30° from vertical.             Color, developing: Close to 144A. Color, fully developed:             Close to 146A.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 8.9 cm. Width: About 7.8 cm. Shape: Broadly ovate to             reniform. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Oblique to hastate.             Margin: Bi-serrate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous; velvety. Texture, lower surface: Sparsely to             moderately pubescent. Venation pattern: Palmate; reticulate.             Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A             tinged with close to N199A. Developing leaves, lower             surface: Close to 183B. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Darker than between 139A and 147A; venation, close             to 137B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to             178A; venation, close to 146B. Petioles: Length: About             3.9 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to             146B, distally, strongly tinged with close to 182A. Color,             lower surface: Close to 146B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—Double rotate sterile flowers arranged in             axillary compound cymes; freely flowering habit with about             16 flowers per cyme and about 200 flowers developing per             plant; flowers face upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 65             days after planting; long flowering period, plants flower             freely and continuously from spring until autumn in The             Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about ten days on             the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 12.6 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 10.3 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 cm.         -   Flower height.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter, flattened:             About 2.1 cm. Shape, flattened: Orbicular. Color: Close to             43D; towards the apex, close to 43C; towards the base, close             to 48D.         -   Tepals.—Quantity per flower and arrangement: About four in a             single whorl. Length: About 3.2 cm. Width: About 3 cm.             Shape: Broadly obovate to orbicular. Apex: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             slightly velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close             to 41C; towards the apex, close to 40C; towards the base,             close to 41D. When opening, lower surface: Close to 47C.             Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 48C; color does not             change with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 48C; margins, close to 48B; color does not change with             development.         -   Tepaloids.—Quantity per flower and arrangement: About eight             in about two whorls. Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About             9 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly             velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 41C.             When opening, lower surface: Close to 48B. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 43D; color does not change with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 48C;             color does not change with development.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6.8 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Angle: About 30° from branch axis. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 152A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle:             About 40° from the peduncle axis. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to N199C to N199D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Reproductive organ development has not             been observed on flowers of plants of the new Begonia.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development production has             not been observed on plants of the new Begonia. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Begonia has not been observed on plants of the new Begonia. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Begonia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 14° C. to about 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Begonia plant named ‘BKPBEELA’ as illustrated and described. 